My cat has really bad breath for some reason? What could it be?

Answer 1

Hi there...there are many reasons which can contribute to halitosis (bad breath) in cats depending on the diet, age, teeth and gum tissue problems, health related problems, etc.

Here's an exerpt from Petalia.com about feline halitosis:

Do You Suffer From Your Cat's Halitosis?
Does your cat's breath bowl you over? Cats neither brush their teeth nor chew on mice everyday anymore. So it is not surprising that poor dental hygiene and bad breath are reaching epidemic proportions in our domesticated feline friends.

The really interesting thing, though, is that feral cats in Kakadu also have dental tartar and bad teeth at about the same rate as pampered pussycats in the urban world! Come to think of it, before people started brushing their teeth in the 1920’s (plus fluoride of course), most people expected their grannies to have no teeth! Some girls even had their teeth removed ‘for their wedding’ - presumably so they were ‘low maintenance’ for their new husbands!

Cat’s teeth are a very different design to ours. Humans (and horses) grind their food, while carnivores like dogs and cats slice their meat straight from the bone. The pressures that the cutting molars (“carnassial teeth”) can reach means that the products used to repair human teeth just pop off cats’ teeth, especially as feline teeth are much smaller and more brittle than ours. (Human dentistry techniques have, however, been found to be very useful in horses, and many of the major stake winning horses now have full scale dental crowns and fillings done to improve their race performance – apparently they run much faster when their mouth is not sore)!

Still, what this means for cats is that very little restorative dentistry has long term value, so prevention, as is often the case, is the catchcry! There are three stages of tooth problems in cats, and they fairly neatly align with the age of the cat.

Young cats
Young cats (< 1 year) tend to have gum disease primarily, especially cats who come from colonies or catteries. The gum disease seems to be virus-initiated, but then perpetuated by bacteria which thrive in the ‘pockets’ formed in the gums by the viral damage. At some point, the teeth start to erode, and the lesions become painful.

Early intervention, including dental x-ray, cautery of the pockets in the gum, and possibly removal of the affected teeth, can halt the process, and certainly make your cat more comfortable. There are several new products which also help repair the teeth – especially a new barrier application called OraVet™ Plaque Prevention Gel. It gets applied after a full dental prophylaxis (done under anaesthetic - cats just don’t like water sprayed in their mouths!). Maintenance is then a weekly paint-on of the screening gel. This prevents plaque bacteria and probably viruses from irritating the gums, so improving the whole oral situation.

If you have time to brush your cat’s teeth everyday, then there is special toothpaste to help you (and it does make a BIG difference). Chicken wings, necks, chunky pieces of kangaroo or beef, and lamb hearts (raw, twice weekly) are also helpful, as is Hills T/D (= Tooth Diet) - 6 to 12 pieces each day, chewed, (in place of some regular dried food) keeps the teeth polished very easily.

Middle-aged cats
Once cats reach 3 - 4 years of age, periodontitis sets in for about 85% of cats (this does include the Kakadu cats). At this point, a scale and polish of the teeth under anaesthetic, followed by some form of maintenance (OraVet, tooth brushing or T/D) will keep the remaining teeth healthy for a few more years.

We always take the opportunity to check the kidneys as well. Many cats need their teeth attended to once or twice during the middle years. Dental pain is much underdiagnosed, and we have seen many cats recover from things like diabetes, general grumpiness and poor coats after their teeth are attended to!

Older cats
Over the age of 10 years, however, it is the cat’s metabolism and kidneys which become the main focus, and ‘saving the teeth’ becomes less critical. At this age, the bacteria in the plaque in the mouth are being filtered through the kidneys, causing lowgrade damage on their way out. This is now thought to be a major contributor to the high incidence of kidney failure in old cats. Additionally, any anaesthetic becomes a bigger risk as a drop in the blood pressure can lead to sudden renal failure and early death.

Thus, any older cat needing dental work needs to have a general health check and possibly blood profile done, plus an I.V. drip during the procedure to maintain blood pressure. This makes an anaesthetic a ‘big deal’, so if the owner is unable to maintain the teeth of an older cat (brushing is preferred), then we will probably recommend that more teeth come out than stay in, to avoid having to repeat the procedure every 6 – 12 months.

The front teeth remain, so their face is the same, but as the bad breath and focus of infection is gone – we may be ‘buying’ an extra two years of ‘kidney time’ if we’re lucky! Yes, cats have teeth and they deserve attention!

More web articles on causes for feline halitosis:
http://www.wellvet.com/badbreath.html
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1369&articleid=1121

Answer 2

I'm going with the wet food or illness answer. If you feed your cat a lot of wet food they're more likely to get tartar build-up vs. the dry food which helps scrape the teeth clean.
Unually bad breath could mean denatal problems, bad tooth, gum disease, or something more serious. My dad inherited a cat that had horrid breath and it turned out the cat was diabetic and required insulin shots 2x/day. Schedule an appt. and tell the vet what's up. They'll do a check and see what they find. Good luck.

Answer 3

Check your cat's teeth - even the ones at the back - your kitty could have dental/gum disease. If you see any plaque (yellow, crusty stuff) on any of the teeth and/or really red gums, you may need to book a visit to the vet to have a really good (and expensive!) cleaning done. If it is dental/gum disease, this problem needs to be fixed immediately as it can lead to other very sserious medical complications - just ask your vet!
Are you feeding your cat only canned food? If you're feeding low-grade dry cat food, this could also be leading to the dental/gum disease.
Another reason for bad breath could be if you are feeding lower grade foods (are you buying from a supermarket?)
Good luck

Answer 4

I'm not a vet here, but I had a cat with bad breath, and he had gum disease. They sell breath nuggets at many large pet stores, that will help. This is common with cats that have eaten mostly soft food. You can switch the cat to hard food, but it's probably too late, as eating hard food with rotten teeth can be pretty painful.

On the lighter side, a quote from Mr. Krabs..."It's a kind of a smell that's a smelly smell...that smells......smelly!"

Answer 5

Some cats do need dentals (professional cleaning). Sometimes bad breath in cats can signify disease or mouth tumors. Cats can sometimes have anal sac problems and when cleaning themselves, have that awful smell from the anal sacs on their breath. Your best bet is to see a vet and rule out disease or cancer and hope she / he just needs a dental cleaning.

Vet also sell a product that helps maintain teeth health that cats love. it's called C.E.T chews for cats by Virbac.You can also buy these online at many of the pet supply stores.

See a vet first, though - be safe.

Answer 6

Healthy cats have some breath odor (bear in mind their tongues are not only their washcloths, but also their toilet paper!) but it generally isn't really noticeable unless you stick your nose in or very close to their mouths. A healthy cat on casual contact should smell fresh and clean. A Vet can advise you if your kitty needs teeth cleaning and a dental exam (done under anesthetic) and if he/she has underlying health problems like gum disease, oral abscesses, tumors, or digestive problems.

Answer 7

The food you are feeding your cat is likely the cause of it's bad breath. I make my cats food, for many reasons, however one of the things I noticed since changing from commercial to homemade food, is their breath does not stink as much.

Answer 8

It could be either that you are feeding him/her some food that doesn't agree with his/her digestive system, or, as already pointed out, a health/dental problem. If my cat got breath that was significantly unpleasant to me, I would at least call my vet for a consultation.

Good luck!

Answer 9

Unusually bad breath in animals is often a sign of sickness. Tolerably bad breath is normal. They eat things we wouldn't touch with a stick.

Answer 10

He needs to visit the vet. Bad breath is a sign of gingivitis, just like in people. He needs to have his teeth examined and cleaned. Please don't put it off. It will only get worse and eventually lead to cavities and even tooth loss. Extractions are expensive and painful, just like they are for people. Best to go ahead and get it done before it gets more expensive. Call your vet today for the price and make the appointment.